(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which type of backup includes a complete copy of all data?

1. Incremental Backup

2. Differential Backup

3. Full Backup

4. Mirror Backup

The correct answer is: Full Backup

A full backup includes a complete copy of all data from the specified backup source, ensuring that every file, folder, and system state is captured and stored. This type of backup serves as a comprehensive snapshot of the entire system at a given point in time, making it invaluable for recovery processes, as restoring from a full backup allows for a complete restoration of all necessary data and configurations without needing to reference other backup types. In contrast, incremental and differential backups capture data differently. Incremental backups store only the data that has changed since the last backup, whether it was a full or incremental one, which means you may need to combine multiple backups for a full recovery. Differential backups, on the other hand, save data that has changed since the last full backup, but not since the last differential backup, thus requiring fewer backup sets than incremental but still not offering a complete dataset in a single backup. Mirror backups create a real-time replica of the data, but they do not maintain version history and may be prone to data loss if files are accidentally deleted or corrupted. Therefore, the full backup stands out as the option that provides a comprehensive, stand-alone copy of all data, simplifying the recovery process and offering complete assurance during data restoration.